Based on Dracula by Bram Stoker and the film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) follows Count Dracula as he moves from Transylvania to Wismar. On his journey, Dracula spreads the Black Plague across the areas he travels in. However, only a woman with a pure heart can stop Dracula and bring an end to his reign of utter terror.
Upon release, Nosferatu the Vampyre received very positive reviews (and was nominated for a few minor awards) and was a minor box office success. Reads the Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus of the film: "Stunning visuals from Werner Herzog and an intense portrayal of the famed bloodsucker from Klaus Kinski make this remake of Nosferatu a horror classic in its own right." Famed movie critic Roger Ebert absolutely loved the film, writing: "One striking quality of the film is its beauty. Herzog's pictorial eye is not often enough credited. His films always upstage it with their themes. We are focused on what happens, and there are few 'beauty shots'. Look here at his control of the color palette, his off-center compositions, of the dramatic counterpoint of light and dark. Here is a film that does honor to the seriousness of vampires. No, I don't believe in them. But if they were real, here is how they must look."
Awards wise, at the Academy of Science Fiction awards, Herzog's film was nominated for Best Costumes and Best Foreign Film. It also was nominated for a couple of awards at various film festivals, including the Berlin Film Festival (for best director and best production design) and Cartagena Film Festival (for best actor). The film is truly a bonafide classic capable of transfixing audiences members who speak German -- and those who do not.
